Colorado Springs to celebrate Local Food Week

Monday

Sep 16, 2013 at 11:00 AM

Every Wednesday, graduate students in the sports nutrition program at University of Colorado-Colorado Springs are at the Colorado Farm and Art Market demonstrating simple nourishing meals they've concocted from seasonal produce grown at nearby Venetucci Farm. The goal of their enterprise is to create greater “food literacy.”

By Candace KrebsContributing Writer

COLORADO SPRINGS — Every Wednesday, graduate students in the sports nutrition program at University of Colorado-Colorado Springs are at the Colorado Farm and Art Market demonstrating simple nourishing meals they’ve concocted from seasonal produce grown at nearby Venetucci Farm. On a recent day, their demonstration also had a cultural flavor. The three students working in the booth were each from different countries — Japan, Spain and Mexico. Their featured produce item was white egg turnips, which had been incorporated into a Japanese quick pickle and rice dish.

The goal of their enterprise is to create greater “food literacy.” “People need this knowledge,” said program director Nanna Meyer, who was busy chatting with other vendors at the market. “They so often lack food and cooking knowledge.”

Education and awareness is also the goal of Colorado Springs Local Food Week, which is held during the peak of the season for locally grown food in the Pikes Peak region. The community-wide event includes dozens of activities that run Sept. 14-22 at local restaurants, farmers markets, school campuses, urban homesteads and other venues around town. The festivities also coincide with Colorado Proud School Meal Day, which is observed by the Colorado Department of Agriculture on Wednesday, Sept. 18. School districts across Colorado are encouraged to serve and promote local items.

A full listing of Local Food Week activities is available at the greencitiescoalition.net website and includes cooking classes, tours, lectures, festivals and more.

Nuwanee Kirihennedige, one of the graduate students at the UCCS booth, said the slate of dozens of activities had definitely captured the students’ interest.

“There are so many events we are thinking about going to,” she said. Garlic, tomatoes, peaches and peppers are among the local food favorites currently at their prime.

The Colorado Farm and Art Market, which is cooperatively owned and operated by the participating member-vendors, will host several special events during the week, including a tomato tasting with dozens of varieties available for sampling.

“A lot of the farmers are growing unique and funky ones this year,” said Nicole Fetterhoff, a local crafter who manages the market.

Venetucci Farm alone is test-growing about 20 varieties, including the Abu Rawan tomato, a variety native to Iraq with a “solid, all-purpose flesh.” The meaty and tubular San Marzano is another unique plum tomato variety being grown by several vendors.

In addition to the tomato tasting, four local chefs will participate in a friendly cooking competition at the market the following Saturday. “We give them 25 bucks and they have to run around and get their food from the market and then cook with it,” said Heather Mitchell, a personal chef and the market’s assistant manager.

On Sunday, Chef Eric Viedt will host a traditional field-to-table-style dinner at his Margarita restaurant, featuring roasted goat, lamb and pork. The meal will be served at a long banquet table outdoors under twinkling stars and sparkling lights.

“We’ll be doing a little bit of everything,” he said as he perused the fresh vegetables at the market and made plans for how he would feature them in his weekly menu. “It’ll be good.”

In the past, fundraisers have been held before the market opens in the spring. But Fetterhoff said she wanted to do an event while an abundance of locally grown items were in season.

Doug Wiley, owner of Boone’s Larga Vista Farm, a regular vendor at the market and farmers market board member, said Local Food Week generates publicity by shining a spotlight on area farmers.

“It gets people talking,” he said. “New people learn about the local farmers every year, and we capture more clientele that way. This is the fastest growing trend in food right now.”

While Colorado Springs benefits from its proximity to many Front Range farms, the farmers also benefit from having a vibrant marketing center located nearby.

Wiley said a downside of the “buy local movement” was it didn’t offer much help to farmers in remote rural areas far from urban centers. He cited a friend in Wyoming who was interested in direct marketing but was ranching in a sparsely populated area.

“She’d love to raise grassfed beef, but the local market’s already filled by one of her neighbors,” he said.